Now that the snow has all but vanished and your go-to ski-touring terrain has returned to your running paradise, you’ll need to swap out those daunting Goretex boots for some quality trail runners. Slip into the Salomon S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra SG Trail Running Shoes and reward yourself with a lightweight , trail hugging shoe that offers all the stability, grip, and cushioning you’ll need to thrive out on the trail.
On Performance and Design..
Note to the Reader: If you’re looking for a review that tediously tears apart the S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra SG, systematically pointing out the shortcomings and flaws you’ll need to look elsewhere. Few shoes have come back from trail time with our team having consistently earned such high marks and undaunted praise.
To start, the S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra SG (Soft Ground) continues in the Salomon tradition of providing industry leading fit and comfort. The inner endoFIT sleeve hugs the forefoot offering a sense of added comfort and rotational stability. Admittedly, it makes the shoe a little more difficult to get on, but you’ll quickly realize that the extra effort is well worth the while once you start ripping over treacherous terrain. The 4mm drop keeps you in contact with the ground, while a soft midsole buffers your sole from taking on a world of pernicious trail hazards.
Whether you’re devouring vast expanses of daunting barely-there-trails on your daily training run, or utilizing this mountain masterpiece as your go-to speed hiking footwear, the S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra SG takes it all in stride. Salomon’s Dynamic Traction technology offers you a patented traction system that provides maximum surface area underfoot for greater traction on dry surfaces while chunky alternative lugs flourish in muddy conditions.
The lacing is excellent offering a minimalistic yet strong system for one pull tightening. As with all speed lacing systems it’s easy to lock in a fit that’s too tight, but the ability to quickly cinch-in the perfect fit and never worry about laces coming undone is a virtual gift.
And while this shoe is designed with the ultra-runner in mind, for those who may use the Sense 3 as their go-to option for light and fast backcountry excursions and may have concerns about durability, fear not. All of Salomon’s Quicklaces are made with a kevlar-like material rendering them exceptionally durable no matter what Mother Nature may bring your way.
Salomon tops off these trail kicks with a fine mesh upper that lets fresh air in without exposing your toes to trail debris. That means your feet will be feeling good whether your chosen path is littered with streams, scree, sand or snow. And speaking of those less-than-ideal conditions, the Sense 3 Ultra impressed our trail guru with a superb ability to shed water and mud which leaves you hauling less of that unwanted trail weight around on your run.
Notes from the Trail…
As we noted earlier, there isn’t much to offer in terms of a critique, as our trail guru simply noted these were the best Salomon trail runners he’s ever worn. When we finally forced him to get nitpicky, the one minor fault centered on the tongue. Overall, the tongue of the Sense 3 Ultra is designed to help keep trail debris out, and it does a solid job on that front. However, the unprotected underside of the tongue did show a propensity to soak up water in wet terrain (think about those low alpine marsh lands). Clearly, that issue wasn’t a deal breaker for our crew member who still offered his highest approval rating for the overall performance of the shoe.
Bottom Line…
For those who pursue a life on the trail, the S-Lab Sense 3 Ultra is nothing less than the result of Salomon’s constant pursuit of perfection. Low to the ground, lightweight, and packing a ton of traction, this iteration of the S-Lab Sense Ultra is an ultra-distance trail runners ultimate weapon.
Gumption Gear Review received the product samples featured in this review from Salomon. The items featured were provided solely in exchange for testing the products and providing our honest views and opinions. We received no other form of compensation for this or any related review.